Dry Writing Kaweco Al Sport

I just received my new blue stonewashed Kaweco AL sport, with a fine nib. Looks really great with the new vintage clip, but sad to say it is one of the driest writers I have ever tried. I really don't want to return it to the seller, as it was bought via Amazon, and came from Germany after nearly a months wait.

Any suggestions on how to improve its flow. The nib unscrews as a unit so there is no way to access the nib itself, that I know of. I tried the blue ink cart that came with it, then tried a Diamine blue-black cart, then flushed that and refilled an empty cart with Waterman Florida Blue, so I don't think the ink is the issue. I gave it a good flush and clean with soapy water before first use also.

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First try to soak the nib section overnight this may dislodge the machining oils and soap you may not have gotten all the way out, then just let the faucet flow into the grip. My next two suggestions are a bit ''dangerous'', if you do not mind altering the nib you have two options.

One: You can VERY lightly press the nib on a hard bit of metal with the nib parallel to the piece of metal, for my Kaweco Sport I used the metal tin it came in.

Two: You can purchase a brass shim from the Goulet Pen Company and, removing the nib from the unit, run it between the tines starting at the breather hole.

If you don't mind the wait I would go for the brass shim, it is a lot harder to mess that up. If you do not feel comfortable with the adjustments you could always send it back for repair. Kaweco will take care of you, they are very sweet people.

The KaWeCo nibs (Bock) are known to be a bit on the dry side, especially the fine ones. You can remove the nib/feed assembly and then pull them out of the collar to work on the nib if necessary. I have noticed that the goldplated nibs are a bit smoother and have a somewhat better flow so I replaced the steel on my AL-Sport for a golden. You can get a complete assembly for something like $ 10. If you are in a hurry and comfortable to work a bit on the nib, check SBRE Brown's YouTube channel, there are video's on making an nib wetter.

Thanks all. Using the above thread I was able to get the flow somewhat better on my little pen. I removed the nib unit, took out the nib, ran a thin razor blade down the slit from the breather hole to tip, and ran it a couple of times down the channel in the feed. Still not great flow, but manageable. I am really used to better flowing pens I suppose, but since this will primarily be used for field notes in a very small notepad, it will suffice.

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